As many of you know, East Palo Alto is recruiting for a new City Manager – and the City needs your input and ideas about the qualities and characteristics this person should have that will best serve your community.

You’re invited to attend and participate in a community workshop where you and other engaged community members will have the opportunity to let the City know what the community needs in its next City Manager. The input will help formulate materials and guide ongoing recruitment efforts for the City Manager.

The workshop will be hosted by representatives from CPS-HR, the executive recruitment firm hired by the City Council to recruit for this crucial City function. This firm will be creating the recruitment materials which will be used to attract the highest quality candidates, so this workshop is a great opportunity to ensure the community’s voice is heard in that recruitment.

The recruitment is expected to take several months – the City Council hopes to appoint the new City Manager by February, 2015. In the meantime, Mr. Carlos Martinez of the Community and Economic Development Department, is set to be appointed by the Council as Interim City Manager on October 7th, to serve until the permanent selection is made.

Appointed by the City Council, the City Manager is the administrative head of city government. The City Manager implements all City Council policy decisions and directions, provides leadership and direction to department heads and other staff, and works with the Council and staff to develop action plans and programs for the operation of the City’s functions. An essential responsibility of the City Manager is the ability to fully engage the community and all of its stakeholders, to hear their concerns and ideas, and to help them create and act on opportunities for making our community a better place.

Please plan on attending this important community workshop, where you can contribute to helping the City Council find the best possible City Manager for East Palo Alto.